[ge-talk] Mouseclick options

[Niklas Nisbeth]

On Jul 10, 2007, at 12:20 PM, Meanwhile - wrote:

> Hi Niklas,
>
>> I'll just chime in here and say I think nothing at all is wrong with
>> double clicking. Not once in the eighteen years since I got my first
>> Mac have I looked at it and said 'you know, this concept is
>> fundamentally flawed'.
>
> Let me also chime in here and repeat that my idea isn't to change it,
> but to offer an alternative to it. Since you've reacted to Kevin  
> Field while at the same time using elements from my original  
> message, I felt the need to react.

Yeah, sorry about that, I got the two of you mixed up.


>> Click once to select, double click to
>> activate. Double clicking is not clicking twice in my mind, really,
>> it's a different maneuver (and is interpreted by the computer as
>> such)
>
> I'm more concerned about how some peoples' muscles interpret it.

How do you mean? Do you really feel that double clicking is that bad  
ergonomically?


>> , so I think your analogy of ringing the doorbell twice is wrong.
>> What strikes me as odd though, is do you people never select files at
>> all? By clicking on it, to perform and operation on it? How would
>> this work? By dragging? Surely that's more RSI-inducing than double
>> click to launch.
>
> As you could have concluded from my mail to Stephan, I do (of  
> course) select files...by dragging. That method works better for  
> me: it surely is less RSI-inducing than double clicking to launch.

I disagree with that, but then I use laptops, mostly. Double clicking  
on my IBM is done with my thumb, without moving my hands from the  
keyboard. I suspect that makes a big difference. But even when using  
a mouse, I can't see how a drag is more ergonomic than a click.

>> Double clicking works,
>
> Just like 'single-as-doubleclicking' works for others.
>
>> it's familiar, IMHO there's
>> no pressing need to change it
>> for something that might be better for
>> a handful of completely new computer users,
>
> I never mentioned nor represented (completely) new computer users  
> though.

Every file manager that I know of uses double clicking by default -  
BeOS, Windows, proper Macs, OS X, GNOME, Amiga - so everyone coming  
to Haiku is going to 'expect' it to work like that. A change to  
something so fundamental would be weird for everyone but those who  
are completely new.

>> just but would be confusing
>> and stress inducing for those of us who've actually used a computer
>> before.
>
> Again, that's a non-issue when two both methods of clicking are  
> offered.

Depending on what's the default, but yes.